Loki (title in progress)
by Probablyjudgingyou
Summary: Just a little fanfic I'm writing...not sure where it'll go. Read if you're interested but I'm not expecting many readers. Thanks for your time :)xx
1. Chapter 1

Loki opened his eyes and slowly rose from his knees. He had finally reached Earth; travelling to Midgard became difficult after the unfortunate instances in his last visits to the realm. The gods' trust in him was drastically lower than the average low, but as usual they gave him "one more chance." He heard those three words a lot.

Another measure taken was the fact that he could only travel directly into the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, and he could only leave once interrogated about his reason for his travelling and how long he planned to stay. Loki found this to be a waste of time, those events had happened over twenty years ago, and he hadn't even done anything since then.

The god of mischief rose his hands up above his head and onto his long black hair, rolling his eyes as agents patted him down. Finding nothing, they allowed him to pass through all of the scanners and devices that he was all too used to. Nick Fury, sitting in his old office behind plates of glass and steel, gave Loki a menacing glare. Loki returned it with his signature cunning smirk, striding on with his green cape flowing behind him.

He entered the large, open, warehouse-like room where they kept the old tesseract scepter. _Typical stupid humans, _he thought. _This almost destroyed their world, yet they keep it. Why? As a souvenir of a battle they narrowly won? Do they suppose they can still use it to their advantage? _ He laughed at the thought while he worked open the intricate holding case.

The guards in the room weren't paying attention, unaware that the Loki in the room behind was a mere copy. Years and years of observing the petty humans' technology had finally paid off as the god picked up his old weapon, feeling the weight and power in his hands. The tesseract still glowed brightly, the glint of the blade matching that in Loki's eyes. Sharp, and dangerous.

Feeling the supremacy build inside him, he turned around, prepared to kill every man in the room. Instead, quite shockingly, he saw a girl.

She had long brown hair, Dutch-braided down her back. Her turquoise eyes looked at him through large, black-rimmed glasses. Her brow was furrowed, but a slight smile showed that it wasn't anger, but interest. She wore a t-shirt, sleeves rolled up slightly, and tight-fitting jeans. She had socks that didn't match under white canvas shoes. She couldn't have been more than 15 years old, and only a couple inches over five feet tall. She was quite pretty, but not overwhelmingly so.

Loki was taken aback at her presence.

"Who are you?" he asked, stepping forward to show dominance.

The girl stepped forward also, apparently oblivious to his aggression.

"You are _beautiful_, aren't you?" she asked to no one in particular.

The god was rendered speechless.

"That power…in your eyes. So much anger, little fear. But there is _something_ you fear. I wonder what it is…"

"I _demand _you tell me who you are!" Loki said, not overly loud, but still angry.

"My name is Teagan," she said with friendliness, holding out her hand. Quickly remembering that Asgardians didn't shake hands, she put it back at her side. "I'm just one of those useless wastes of space you refer to as humans."

Loki thought this sounded like a joke, but her face was dead serious. "Who do you think you _are_, getting in my way?" he commanded, wondering how she got in.

Her brow furrowed again, looking left and right and then back at him. "…Teagan?" she answered. "And I'm not really in your way, am I? You could easily get past me."

Loki's face flushed. "You have some nerve approaching me. Do you even _realize _how easily I could kill you?"

"Well, obviously," she said, speaking to him as if she were his equal. "That magnificent scepter you're holding could kill me in a second. But, if you _really _wanted to kill me, you could've done it right when you turned around and saw me."

"You don't sound scared."

"What's to be scared of? It's just death."

Loki smirked. "I like you. You're not like the other…_apes._" He sneered at the word.

"I try, I try." Teagan winked. "Oh, gotta run. You might want to, also," she smiled, nodding her head toward guards who appeared to be realizing that that the god of mischief was, indeed, being mischievous.

He watched her run, long, graceful strides before facing the small army heading towards him. He threw his head back, laughing, as he raised the scepter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Teagan snuck into a small, deserted laboratory connected to the warehouse. Even though she was technically allowed to be in the headquarters, she avoided being seen by guards. She figured it would be hard to explain to them that S.H.I.E.L.D. had recruited a 15-year-old girl and that she was free to roam the place. Well, that wasn't completely true. But she did it anyway.

She sometimes wondered why S.H.I.E.L.D. had chosen her. Maybe it was because of the intelligence she had inherited from her father. Or perhaps it was because they had seen her sneak into so many places, not getting caught even once. Maybe it was just because they walked down the street and picked the first person they saw. _The world may never know_, she thought.

But none of that mattered now. She was dumbstruck. She had just spoken to a _god._ But why had she let him go? She could've called the guards. She didn't have to warn him when they started to advance. Maybe it was because he had said he _liked _her. Loki, the god who tried to dictate Earth. Who thought of humans as stupid, blundering monkeys. (_He's not wrong, _she thought) And he _liked _her.

She wasn't worried about getting in trouble. She doubted the guards even saw her. But she felt anxious. There were butterflies in her stomach, but she couldn't put her finger on _why_.

Of course, Teagan had never had a crush. She was always above petty things like that. In addition, she was far too intellectually advanced (along with being rather snarky and sarcastic) to attract any boy's attention.

With a hand on her abdomen, she crept toward the laboratory door, footsteps silent against the tile flooring. The window was small, but she crouched low enough so only here eyes were above the sill.

Her eyes widened slightly as she saw what lie behind the steel door. Loki was standing tall, his posture giving an air of importance. Around him lay the bodies of the guards that had been chasing after him just moments before. Teagan felt like she should be upset, scared even. But, as usual, she didn't. _I didn't even know those men, _she thought. _Should I go out there?_

Deciding she had nothing to lose, she slowly and quietly opened the door. She slipped out, and then suddenly froze. She stood confidently, aside from her right foot being slightly turned in. It always did that, though. Her shoulders set back, face calm, she raised an eyebrow at Loki.

"They got in my way," he said slightly angrily.

"Of what? Taking over the world again?" Teagan said mockingly.

The god scoffed. "This pathetic rock? Please. This place will crash and burn on its own in no time. It was foolish for me to think it could have ever amounted to anything."

"Well, you're right about that. So why _are _you here? And I know that whole 'Thor left something here and he asked me to retrieve it' story is bullcrap, so you can skip that."

Loki was baffled. "How did you-"

Teagan shrugged. "Being stuck in this place for so long, you start to pick up on things. Like how the vent in the storage freezer is directly connected to that in the interrogation room. However, I believe I asked you a question."

Loki chuckled. "Do you really believe I'd tell you? For all I know, you're nothing but Fury's little spy."

"Ah, yes. I do believe most spies warn their enemies of oncoming danger and stand by as said enemy murders their colleagues."

"Fair enough. Generally speaking, I am here for revenge."

"On whom, if I might ask?"

"This wretched place. Not only has it tried to kill me on more than one occasion, but they think Thor is some kind of pet that they can keep at their beck and call. He is a _god_. Not a servant. Just as I am no lowly peasant criminal that can be thrown in jail."

"So, what? You're just gonna kill them all? You really think you can do that?"

"I'm sure I could, but I am going to do much worse than that," Loki answered, a handsome, cunning smile growing on his face.

Teagan cocked her head. "Like what?"

"I am going to make their own people kill them for me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Teagan opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the slam of the warehouse door. Her eyes widened in surprise, but Loki just smirked, as if he'd been expecting it to happen.

"Loki, put _down_ the scepter!" Nick Fury's voice filled the room, gun in one hand and cane in the other. Despite his age, he refused to retire.

Again, that self-righteous chuckle. "I think I'll be going now."

Fury pulled the trigger, a loud bang resounding against every wall in the warehouse. Teagan gasped, tears climbing over her eyelids as the bullet hit Loki's forehead. The scepter dropped to the floor, clattering against the cement. There was a look of shock on Loki's face as he fell in what felt like slow motion to the floor, his feet failing beneath him.

Teagan's head turned to Fury, who now had a satisfied expression on his face.

"Over 20 years I've been tryin' to kill that-" But he didn't get to finish his sentence.

Loki's body and the scepter started to…flicker. Teagan blinked, wondering if it had been a trick of her eyes.

_There! There it goes again! Oh, you clever boy..._She smiled slightly as it dawned on her.

Nick's reaction wasn't as pleasant. He cursed loudly before shouting to the agents behind him, "CODE RED LOCKDOWN. MAKE SURE NO ONE'S GETTIN' IN OUR OUT OF THIS GODDAMN PLACE."

Teagan looked as alarms blared around her.

"And _you_," he growled, turning to the girl. "_You _are comin' with _me_."

Loki looked up at his surroundings. He managed to go as far as an old weapons room while his image took an honorable death, and he knew from memory how to get out from there. As he walked out the door, he heard alarms blaring. _Just a little late, Fury,_ he thought. He breathed in slowly as he took in the landscape of the Arizona desert.

For reasons he didn't understand, Teagan jumped into his brain. What was to happen to her now? Would she be punished for talking to him? He knew it was inevitable that she would tell Fury his plans. But why was he worried about her? _She's only a girl. She's only a human. _But he felt something more. She wasn't like everyone else. She didn't feel an undeserved pride in her race. She wasn't completely obligated to protect the useless planet she lived on. She was _different_.

He suddenly felt guilty. What if they hurt her? It would be his fault. _Why do I feel like this? I have killed thousands. And I'm worried they'll hurt one puny human? Maybe…she could be useful. She knows more about this place than maybe even I do._

Loki felts strange about his decision…it just didn't seem like himself. Regardless, he planned to act on it.

"I will ask you _one_ more time, agent," Nick Fury spat. "What are Loki's plans?"

Teagan rolled her eyes. "I told you. I _don't know_. All he said was that he wanted revenge on S.H.I.E.L.D. and that he wasn't planning on killing anyone himself."

"Yeah, you explained that. But what you didn't explain was _how_ he planned to do that."

"That's because I don't KNOW how," she retorted, fuming.

"Okay. Well then you better get explainin' why you didn't try to stop him killing those guards!"

"Me? Stop a _god_? Yeah, that's plausible."

"Well you could've called help!"

"Those guards should've known what they were getting into! Did they actually think they'd get farther than three steps? Calling in more would just make more casualties!"

"Well you've just got an answer for everything don't you? I want to hear your answer for why we found stolen weapons from our armory in your dorm."

Teagan was speechless. _Damn, they found them…I just wanted to examine them._

"That's right, _agent_, we found 'em. And we – _I _– am tired of your crap. I think it's time we limited your…boundaries."

Teagan groaned. "You don't mean-"

"Oh, yeah. We're putting you in the…downstairs bedroom."

She knew what he meant…it was basically solitary confinement. _Only leaving the 'dungeon' for training…oh, God help me. Who knows the next time I'll train with this whole Loki thing going on. Ugh, maybe I'll put a bullet in my head._

So she was led down by guards, sticking her tongue out at them as the shut the door. She looked around at the room. Dimly lit, white walls, one toilet, one bed.

"I'm rooting for you, Loki," she said aloud, flopping onto the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Teagan lay on the creaky twin-size bed, throwing and catching a crusty piece of bread from her lunch in the air. She'd only been there 3 hours, but it had felt like 3 days. The only meal she'd received consisted of the stale bread she was now playing with, vegetable soup (_definitely from the bottom of the pot_), and some kind of filet of meat that Teagan wouldn't go anywhere near.

_Ugh. Eating's boring enough already…you had to make it disgusting, too._

She was trying to fall asleep when she heard something faintly down the hallway. She silently slipped off the bed and crept over to the door, crouching down to the slit where they had slipped her food in earlier. Unsurprisingly, it wouldn't open. _Probably locked on the other side…_

Sighing with annoyance, she walked back over to the bed. She put a foot on the white wire bed frame and used her hands to pull one of the rungs off. After putting her ear up to the door to ensure that the sound was still fairly far away, she shoved the metal rung under the small opening, using it as a crowbar. It took a few seconds, put eventually the door of the opening gave way, and she heard the lock break. She swiftly stuck her hand out and grabbed the it, bringing it in the room so it wasn't lying broken outside.

Lying on the floor, she opened the slit just enough so she could see out. Down the dark hall, there were to guards dragging a teenage girl, led by a cocky-looking agent. _Sanders, _Teagan thought, remembering the ruthless, arrogant man she'd seen interrogate enemies countless times.

_But that girl is my age…how could she be an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D.?_

"Stop!" the girl shouted angrily. "I can't help you! I don't know anything!"

The closer the group got, the more Teagan believed her. Her medium-length brown hair was curled, not naturally. She was wearing mascara and a slightly tinted pink lip gloss. Her nails were painted in the color and fashion of the girls Teagan remembered from school. She was wearing a dress under a denim jacket. _You idiots. Why would a spy keep her nails that long? And having hair like that would just be a nuisance for someone trying to sneak somewhere. _

As they entered the room opposite Teagan's, not bothering to close the door, Sanders' irritating voice spoke up. "Is your mother Rae Harrison?"

"Yes," the prisoner said angrily. "I've told you this already. I still don't understand why this caused you to _kidnap _me!"

Halfway through her sentence, Sanders' phone rang. He held his finger up to her as he answered.

"Hello?" he said, suddenly smirking. "Ah. Yes, yes, I understand." After a few seconds he hung up.

"I guess I should rephrase the question," he spat at the girl. "_Was _your mother Rae Harrison?"

A look of terror molded her face. "You don't mean…"

He nodded, smiling evilly. "Oh, yes I do. Now, tell me her plans before you _join _her."

"You _bastard_!" she screamed as the guards tied her wrists to the arms of her chair.

"Oh, that's rich coming from a sniveling little rat like you! I'll ask you one more time before things get painful; what were your mother and her company's plans?"

"Her _company_? My mother works for Mary Kay! I don't know what 'plans' you're talking about!" Although there was clear danger, she seemed more angry than scared.

Teagan couldn't see everything but she heard the sizzle of what couldn't be anything other than a hot iron on skin. The girl hissed in pain.

"Didn't like that, did you?" Sanders mocked.

"Bite me!" was the answer.

He chuckled. "I should let you know that we are absolutely certain of whom your mother worked for and what they did to the S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse in Iowa. We are simply asking you their _plans_."

The girl held a steely glare at him, "For the last time, I don't know what you're talking about. My mother doesn't work for some 'company' that's working against S.H.I.E.L.D. We live in a split level home outside of Phoenix, my mother is a beauty consultant, my father works at GEICO, and I'm a sophomore in high school. That's it."

Teagan heard the iron again as she decided she'd witnessed enough. _This girl obviously doesn't know anything, are they blind? You can tell by her steadiness and tone. She is giving all the wrong body language for a spy. She's not lying._

"Okay, okay, I've heard enough," Teagan spoke up, laughing internally at the look of shock on the agent's face.

"Hey!" Sanders yelled, walking towards her door. "How'd you get that open?" He was fuming.

"Listen up, you dick, she doesn't know anything," she told him through the slit.

The guards opened up the doors and dragged her out, pinning her against themselves.

"You're gonna be in _huge _trouble when Fury finds out about this," Sanders smiled sinisterly, all anger apparently gone.

"Oh, I'm so scared," she mocked, and reverted back to her original point. She looked at the girl. "What's your name?"

"Josie," the girl said, a subtle hint of relief in her face at the fact that someone believed her.

Teagan looked at Sanders again. "Josie obviously isn't lying to you. Have you never interrogated someone before? Or do you just _really _love torturing young women?"

"You're going to find that out pretty soon, you brat!"

"Actually, that won't be necessary," a familiar voice, somehow gentle and fierce at the same time, chimed in.

The guards turned around suddenly, dragging Teagan around also with the twist of their bodies. Her eyes lit up.

Loki stood tall, scepter in one hand, smirking at everyone.

"She'll be coming with me."

**Hello guys! I honestly didn't think anyone would read this story, so it means a lot that you guys are! I know I'm a pretty crappy writer, so if you ever have questions about the fic or anything, you can ask me through my tumblr, Thank you and a very happy New Year!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Loki…?" Teagan said quietly, her jaw dropping.

"Fire!" Sanders ordered, causing the guards holding Teagan to suddenly drop her on the floor, hands rapidly searching for their guns. Loki, however, was much faster; a blue light shining out of the golden spear as he calmly murdered the bulking men.

With a look of terror on his face, Agent Sanders ran into the room where Josie was still tied up (and extremely confused, as she could not see out into the hallway). Teagan almost laughed as she heard him mutter under his breath, "This is most definitely _not _my job."

"What's the matter? Forgot your gun?" Teagan yelled, still on the ground, holding the side of her head that hit the concrete. Before she could turn around, she heard footsteps behind her, followed by a searing pain on the back of her arm.

"_Ahh_!" she yelled, quickly turning and grabbing the iron. Facing Sanders, she held the hot iron up behind her like a baseball bat, taking in Sanders cowering stance before she saw a blue flash and his face froze. He fell to the ground, dead.

"Come now," Loki ordered seriously. "We must leave quickly."

"I…" Teagan started, but realized there was no time for questions. "Wait."

She quickly stepped over to the dead guard, grabbing a serrated clip-point knife out of his pocket. She strode into Josie's room and spoke gently to the girl.

"Stay still," she said as she carefully, but speedily, cut the ropes around her wrists. "Come with us, but move fast. We'll get you out of here."

"Got room for one more?" Teagan asked Loki, considering the possibility of his saying no.

Loki's eyes shot back and forth as he thought. "Alright, but she's on her own once we get out of here. I am not a mule."

"Understood," Teagan replied, carrying Josie along by the arm. "How do we get out?"

"This way," he began to walk swiftly toward the end of the hallway.

Josie and Teagan matched his fast pace easily and followed him without question through the many twists and turns in the dark underground floor. Suddenly, Teagan stopped, softly laying a hand on Loki's heavily-armored forearm. He turned and watched her put a finger to her lips. Josie pointed around the corner, showing where the sound of footsteps was coming from. Loki put an arm behind him, signaling the girls to stay behind as he prepared to turn the corner.

Teagan put a hand back on his forearm, gripping tighter. She shook her head and pointed up to a small security camera on the wall, pointing at the source of footsteps. Silently, she moved over to it, raising her arm just enough to use the stolen knife to cut the wires than ran out of the wall. When she was done, she gave him a small nod.

The god didn't even blink before he shot the scepter at the men walking through the hall. As the three of them passed their bodies, Josie grabbed a knife out of one of their back pockets.

After just a few more lefts and rights, they came to an exit. Loki almost opened the door before Teagan stopped him.

"No!" she warned. "You open that door without a code, an alarm blasts throughout this whole place."

She and Loki stared at one another a moment, discovering through eye contact that neither of them knew the code.

_Shit, _Teagan thought.

Out of the blue, Josie's voice piped up. "0-4-1-3," she said hopefully. "The code is 0-4-1-3. This is the door we came in through."

Loki scanned her face for a moment before typing it into the keypad. _ACCESS GRANTED. _Teagan gave Josie a small smile before following Loki out the door.

It took a bit of work getting out of the fence, but the three of them managed. Once a safe distance away from the base, Teagan was the first to speak.

"Um…thanks for saving me, I guess. Why'd you do it?"

"I will explain once Josie is gone. I told you I'd get her as far as out of the headquarters."

"Well, we can't just leave her out here."

"Wrong. _You_ cannot just leave her out here. I, on the other hand, am perfectly capable."

Josie chimed in. "Uh…listen, thanks for getting me out of there and stuff, but I got it from here," she said, pulling out a high-tech cell phone.

Teagan looked baffled. "How did you get that into headquarters?"

"I didn't, I just took it off of that guy your weirdly-dressed friend killed in the basement."

"Right," Teagan nodded. "Oh, and this is Loki, of Asgard."

"Oh my god, really? The brother of Thor? The one who practically destroyed New York?"

Loki rolled his eyes. _'Brother of Thor.' Is that all I am to these people?_

Teagan sensed his frustration. "No, the god of mischief who just saved you from a torture dungeon in a secret government facility."

"Oh…yeah. Thanks again. Maybe I'll see you around," she said half-jokingly as she started to walk away.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Teagan asked doubtfully.

"I'll be fine," she replied, making Teagan wonder how the hell she would be fine.

"Okay, so why _did_ you come back for me?" Teagan asked Loki, at a loss of any explanation. She pulled her sleeve up and examined the burn on her arm. _It's not too serious, but it'll scar and it hurts like hell._

"I think I could use your help," he answered, tossing his scepter in his hand. "You obviously know a lot about this place."

"Help with what? I still don't entirely understand your plan."

"I don't want to destroy S.H.I.E.L.D., I want to ruin it."

"Okay…how?"

"You do know of the tesseract, don't you?" He asked, approaching her and holding the tip of the scepter, including the small source of blue light, near her interested face.

Although he was close, and the sharp silver spear was inches from her, she was not scared. She trusted him, but she didn't know why.

"Yes, and I know that you and Thor returned it to Asgard."

"Before we did so, S.H.I.E.L.D. began doing experiments on it. Trying to capture its energy. Trying to create _weapons_."

Teagan raised her eyebrows, looking from the blue tesseract up to Loki's face. "And you believe these weapons still exist?"

"I think you know the answer to that question."

"What if I don't want to help?"

"This agency is a danger to your world and mine! This is a problem that can be solved, and I want it to be! Do you not?"

"It's just…I'm not one to be sentimental, but I don't want blood on my hands."

"This can be solved without any more casualties!" Loki said, smiling hopefully. "Because of you and me, our worlds can be safe!"

"Alright, I'm in," she said warily. "But I'm not killing anyone."

Loki looked at her, smile widening. Teagan felt her face grow hot, and she quickly felt the need to fill in conversation.

"So…why me? Why not just take information from an agent?"

"I didn't think they'd be quite as entertaining," he answered, eyes glittering at his new partner.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sun began to set as Teagan sat on the ground, thinking over the day she'd had. It had started like any other morning; she woke up and started to sneak around. But today, something actually exciting had happened: Loki. Loki came, and Teagan spoke to him. Then, Loki saved her from solitary confinement. Now, she was watching the sky, 6 feet away from an actual Asgardian, while an entire government facility had no clue she was gone.

Loki hadn't done much talking in their time together, and she wasn't sure if it was because of their limited acquaintanceship, or just because he wasn't much of a talker. _My very own prince_, she thought jokingly.

"Tell me about yourself," Loki's charming voice spoke up suddenly, his blue-green eyes finding hers.

"Not much to tell," she shrugged.

"Sure there is," he said, mouth morphing into a smile. "Like how you ended up to be a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, as young as you are."

"I'm not entirely sure," she answered, laying back and resting her head in her arms. "I think it's probably because of my father. He's kind of the logical type, you know, more thinking, less feeling. Bit of a sociopath, really."

"Your father's a sociopath?" Loki repeated, baffled.

"Not entirely. Just a bit sociopath-y."

Loki laughed. "Understandable. So is your father…famous? How did S.H.I.E.L.D. come to know of you?"

"Yes…I'd say he's quite well-known. The minute it was released that he had a child, well, the world wanted to know about me. _How advanced is she? What traits did she inherit? Will she follow in her father's footsteps? _A lot of attention over a simple, above-average toddler. After a couple years, the world lost interest. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't, however, and they continued to watch me. My father was aware; he thought it would be good for me to become an agent. Make life less boring, maybe. They thought I didn't know, but of course I did."

"How? How did you know?" Loki asked, the look on his face giving Teagan the impression that he was listening, that he cared. She hadn't felt that in a long time.

"Because I'm clever," she answered, turning her face to him and smiling. Every time she looked at him, she couldn't help but study his face. His nose, his eyes, his jaw, his cheekbones. _He's quite handsome_, she thought.

"Well, then I'm glad to have you on my team." Their eyes met, and Loki's smile widened as he suddenly felt the need to look away. _What an interesting girl_, he thought. _That's not a common trait with humans._

Teagan looked up to the horizon, the sun almost completely diminished below it. She saw the stars just beginning to show themselves in the darkening night sky. _I wonder if Asgard is out there_. For a few moments, she began to daydream…living on Asgard. Far away from Earth, far away from S.H.I.E.L.D., far away from everyone on this place. A new world that she could call her own. One that is less boring, and more beautiful. Before she realized it, she began to daydream about living with Loki, the man she'd only known for a day but somehow became the most fascinating person in her life. _Wait…what? That would never happen. Why was I even thinking about that?_

"Hey, Loki?" She asked, curious.

"Yes?" his gentle voice replied.

"What is Asgard like?"

The guard sighed, staring at the scepter in his hand. "The place? Amazing. Golden cities, architecture millennia beyond this realm's. The people, however, are bigoted and impressionable."

Teagan didn't ask him to elaborate. She could tell from the interaction with Josie that he had constantly lived in his brother's shadow. She could see sometimes when he stood; he hesitated before pushing his shoulders back, like a reminder to show confidence. She thought this might be a sign of past self-consciousness. She didn't understand why, as he was powerful and cunning. He was an extraordinary god, and he should be treated as such.

"Well, they're wrong," Teagan said simply.

"What do you mean?" Loki asked, brow furrowed.

"They believe Thor is above you, do they not?"

"How did you-"

"I'm clever. That is, of course, unless I'm wrong?"

"Well, technically you're right, but-"

"They are wrong. You are likely the most impressive being I have ever met."

"I…thank you," Loki answered, perplexed but satisfied. "But, really, you must tell me how you knew."

"Well, when I first met you in the headquarters, _and _when you saved me from the basement, you didn't wear your helmet. I have seen pictures, news articles, pretty much anything you can think of on the subject of the New York incidence, and in times of self-proclamation you show your full Asgardian attire, no doubt because you want to show your power. But, in headquarters, you did not. Of course, you could easily have done so, as I read from the look on your face while I'm talking about this. But you didn't, and I am assuming that is because of a damaged ego. I don't believe you _chose _not to don the helmet, I believe you didn't _think _about it. In years before, you were sure of your ability to intimidate your enemies, but now you are not. Also, you seem to spend a considerable amount of time on Earth, away from Asgard. And what is left of my knowledge is that Thor is believed to be a 'hero' and you are not. Alas, the people of Asgard believe Thor to be above you in power and persona."

Despite the nature of her statement, Loki smiled. "Incredible."

"You think so?" Teagan asked, blushing.

"Absolutely," he answered. "Why did you say 'hero' in the tone you did? Do you not believe my brother to be a hero to your kind?"

"It's not that. I just don't believe in heroes. Or villains, for that matter. I don't believe in 'good' and 'evil'."

Continuously intrigued by the girl, Loki questioned her. "What _do _you believe in?"

"Opposing viewpoints. Different ideas of what is beneficial to whom. How can there ever be 'good' and 'evil' of everyone's needs are different? How can a force exist that is favorable to _all _of us? Similarly, how can a force exist that is _demeaned _by all of us?"

"Amazing," Loki said, not to anyone in particular. He looked at Teagan with the wonder of a child watching a magician for the first time.

After a few moments, Teagan spoke up again. "So…what's the plan? To ruin S.H.I.E.L.D.?" she asked, surprised at how long it took her to ask.

"Well, I need to find a way to expose S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secrets to the public. You people love to argue, to disagree. All I need to do is supply them with information, and then step back and watch them do my work for me."

_'You people?' Please. Does he really think I am one of them? _Teagan thought. Reading her face, Loki corrected himself.

"Sorry, I'm still not used to interacting with _intelligent_ humans. Most of your race are greedy wastes of space."

"Very true." _'Intelligent'?_ Teagan yawned, looking at the sky again. It was rather dark now, and she was beginning to feel tired. The god noticed her fatigue.

"How long before you think they will start to look for you?"

"Not for hours. The only time they use the basement is for serious interrogations and to give me food. My next meal isn't until morning and the interrogation room is rarely used."

Loki nodded. "You may sleep. I will wake you if there is trouble."

Teagan smiled at him in a "thank you" sort of way and took off her jacket to use as a pillow. Within minutes, her breathing slowed and her body relaxed. Although she was light sleeper, she fell asleep fast.

Loki stood, removing his long green cape and draping it over her petite body. He looked momentarily at her peaceful face, and then sat a couple feet away, scepter ready.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Teagan?"

Teagan slowly drifted into semi consciousness as she heard a voice saying her name. She felt a large hand on her shoulder, gently pushing. The voice got louder.

"Teagan, awaken," it said calmly. She finally felt the strength to open her eyes and saw Loki crouched in front of her, face relaxed but eyes slightly worried. She blinked slowly, still not entirely coherent. Loki, sensing this moved his hand to her cheek, speaking again. "You have to get up now. Quickly."

Puzzlingly shocked by the god's touch, she blinked again, the previous day's memories flashing back to her. "Why?" she forced out.

"I faintly hear vehicles. We should leave here."

"Oh, right," Teagan replied, getting up. It was then she noticed the large green cloth covering her. _Did he put that on me…?_

Loki retrieved the cape and attached it back on to his shoulder plates. He looked left and right, thoughts racing as he tried to decide where to go. Wiping her eyes, Teagan stood next to him. Finding the direction of the headquarters, she turned back again.

"Uh…this way, I guess. There's a town a few miles away. It's unlikely we'll make it there, though."

"Can you drive the vehicles?" Loki asked, looking at her seriously.

"Yes, but if we wait around for one too long…"

"Then we must move quickly,"

_Well, if he's sure_, Teagan thought as she followed Loki back to the boundaries of the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. She watched as his green and golden armor change into a suit and tie. He kept walking as this happened, and stopped just before the fence. Without either of them pausing, Teagan stepped in front of him, pulling a card out from deep in her jacket pocket. She slid it like a credit card and typed in 5-5-9-9. _ACCESS GRANTED _flashed in green as locks unlatched on the other side of the fence. They walked though, noticing commotion in the motor pool.

Continuing to look ahead, she spoke to Loki.

"I take a car out for a drive a couple times a month," she said. "The key is to look like you know what you're doing."

Loki smirked, slightly turning his head to look at her. "You act as though I earned the nickname 'god of mischief' for nothing."

Teagan purposefully brushed against an agent, subtly taking the key from his belt. She looked down at it. _Number 6_, she read.

Loki continued to follow the girl as she led him to the car. "Stand here for a moment," she directed. "We'll wait until a few cars start to leave. Just lay low."

Before long, engines started and vehicles were hurriedly being driven out of the fence, people running around even more frantically. "Okay, we can go now. Keep your head down."

Sliding into the driver's side of the bench, she put the key in the ignition of Jeep-like truck, hoping the open-top wouldn't ruin the plan. Keeping her own head down slightly, she quickly exited the boundaries. Looking around, she noticed the agents leaving in different directions. _No doubt they've been told to spread out. Looks like we'll have to take a detour._

She hooked a sharp left. Loki looked a bit disgruntled. "I thought you said the town was the other way?" he questioned.

"That's the first place they'll search. We'll wait a while before heading that way."

She drove straight for several minutes, until the headquarters was far behind them. She stopped the car, and she couldn't hear any other engines. _Wait a minute_, she thought. _Car number 6…this is Williams' car, isn't it? _Her thoughts became verbal.

"Oh, he's an idiot…it's a wonder he's even still got a job here," she started mumbling. Her passenger looked at her, watching her eyes search the vehicle. "He's got to have a map in here somewhere…" She put her hand under the seat. _Nothing. _

"Check and see if there's anything under your seat," she said, oblivious to the fact that she was ordering around a god. However, Loki didn't seem to notice.

He bent over, moving his hand until he heard a rustle. He pulled out a dusty, worn out pamphlet titled "Map of Arizona." He handed it to her immediately.

"A-ha!" she exclaimed. Unfolding it, she found their location on that map easily. She found a town 15 miles away. _It's so small, they won't spend more than 5 minutes searching it_. She turned the map and handed it back to Loki, pointing at the tiny dot. "This is where we're going."

Teagan started the engine again and headed toward the town.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry," she said, looking at the god. "Oh, that's right, you don't really eat, do you? Either way, we could both use a burger."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "A…burger?"

Teagan's jaw dropped, making an over-exaggerated shocked expression. "You don't know what a _burger _is? Well, my friend, I have lots to teach you. Starting with that outfit."

Seeing his taken-aback face, she elaborated. "Don't get me wrong, it's marvelous. For an Asgardian, that is. But whether you're wearing that suit and tie or full-on armor, S.H.I.E.L.D. is going to recognize you. We'll have to get you some _human _clothes."

Loki could never sense disrespect from Teagan, even when she said things like that. "And how do you plan to pay for them?"

Teagan chuckled as she pulled out a wallet and handed it to him. He recognized the face in the picture as the guard he killed in the hallway. "How did you think I got that fence card?"

He opened one of the pockets and saw an abundance of bills. Teagan noticed this too. "I don't know what's in the water, but the guards are always loaded."

A few minutes later, Teagan saw the old town in the distance. She slowed down enough to listen for engines. Hearing none, she continued on. She parked in front of an old empty diner.

A small bell jingled as they walked in. A bored-looking teenage boy looked up from behind the counter. "Is that a military car?" he asked them.

"I'll double your tip if you act like you never saw it," Teagan replied shortly, sliding into a booth. Loki slid into the opposite side. She looked back up at the server. "Two milkshakes and two burgers," she ordered.

It didn't take long for their food to arrive, as they were the only two customers in the restaurant. Instead of taking a bite, Teagan watched Loki, wide-eyed, waiting for him to take his. He squinted at her. "I'm not going to eat it if you keep staring at me like that," he warned.

She picked her cheeseburger but continued to watch him, determined to not miss it. Rolling his eyes, Loki finally picked up the sandwich and took a bite. "So…?" Teagan asked, in the edge of her seat.

"Well, it's not terrible, but you obviously underestimated Asgardian feasts," he answered, a tiny smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh, come on!" Teagan exclaimed, disappointed. "Asgard has all the good stuff, doesn't it?"

"Indeed."

"This place is so boring," she said in disgusting plopping her burger back down on the plate.

"Maybe I'll show you the other realms one day," Loki offered, not daring to meet her eyes.

**Thank you for all the reviews I'm getting! I am so surprised at how many people are enjoying the story ^.^ I'm sorry it took me so long to update...I don't get a lot of time during the week and I forgot my laptop this weekend. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Teagan and Loki finished their meal in polite silence. Teagan didn't mind, oftentimes she preferred quiet company over the tedious work of making conversation. When they were both finished, Teagan dropped a few bills on the table and they left.

As the small bell jingled once again, Teagan looked at Loki. "So…what's next?" she asked.

He looked around at the hot landscape, thinking. "We need to find a place to take shelter while the agents search for us. The longer we're gone, the farther they'll think we've gotten."

Teagan nodded in agreement. She walked back to the car, the god following her. She drove down the road for barely 15 seconds before she saw a run-down old motel. "It's not a five-star, but it'll do." She parked around the back in hopes that the stolen vehicle wouldn't be as obvious.

As they walked through the door of the office, a strong scent of cigarette smoke hit the pair. Wincing, Teagan approached the cashier, a gray-haired man in a wife beater who looked like he couldn't even own a sofa, let alone a motel. When Teagan requested a room, he scratched his unshaven chin and gave her a disgruntled expression, eyes moving from her to Loki, and back again. She just glared at him with an eyebrow raised until he grabbed a key from behind the desk and handed it to her. "Twelve," he informed them gruffly.

She took the key swiftly and led her companion to the room, bracing herself before opening the door. Once open, another burst of cigarette smell made its way through the door, only now it seemed like someone had attempted to mask it with air freshener. Two full-size beds with tacky comforters sat side-by-side, separated by a nightstand with chipped white paint. A dim lamp and dusty Bible were the only things that graced the top of it. Across from the beds, an out-dated TV sat on a desk, a remote missing a back was set in front of it. A mini-fridge and microwave sat in one corner of the room. The door to the bathroom was left open, showing the rusting faucet and not-white-enough-to-be-trustworthy toilet. A tiny corner-shower was stuffed in there as well. The only other door was a closet that, frankly, Teagan was too scared to open.

The girl strode in and sat on one of the beds, feeling the crispness of the sheets and the faint smell of detergent. _It's been weeks since they've been cleaned_, she deduced. _But, clean enough…hopefully. _Settling in, she undid her braid, which had practically fallen out already. Her light brown hair cascaded down her back as she ruffled it, combing through it with her fingers. As she sat cross-legged on the hard mattress, Loki took a seat on the other.

"Teagan," he started, and she felt the same shock she always did when he spoke to her. "We need to find a way to expose S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plans to the public. You know this world on a social level, what would be the best way to do this?"

Teagan laughed lightly. "Using the term 'social level' is a bit of a stretch, but I would say the Internet."

Loki knew a little about the Internet from studying S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology, but he wasn't knowledgeable about how it worked. He did, however, know that it connected people from all over Earth.

Expecting this, Teagan continued. "I suppose if I were able to sneak into headquarters, I could get photographs of the weapons and put them on the Internet…I'd need to steal a computer, too…" She trailed off, her mind wandering to the depths of the headquarters, travelling through camera-monitored hallways, card-requiring doors, and heavily locked armories.

Loki watched her think for a moment before asking, "You really think you can do that?"

A sly smile overcame her face. "Don't you underestimate me," she teased. "We should probably wait a day, at least. After that, more agents will be sent out to look farther. With that many people gone, security will be less than usual. It'll be easier to get what we need."

The god was consistently captivated by the girl's ability to take control. He wasn't sure why it didn't bother him; normally he would stop at nothing to assert his dominance. But something about her made it…worthwhile…to step back. He had disguised his armor and scepter as a suit and a cane, and he stood up and closed the blinds before transitioning back to his natural state. Teagan look over at him, twisting her long hair into a bun.

"Okay, so I have a question," she stated.

"Yes?"

"How do you take all of that off?" she said, a serious question although she soon realized how unusual it sounded, via his disconcerted expression. "I mean…for instance, when you bathe…it's just so much clothing – do you have to have people, like, help you? Or can you do it yourself?"

Loki laughed wholeheartedly, the first time he'd done so in a while. "No, I can usually manage," he said, a blushing smile on his face as he looked at her. She was smiling, too.

It was the first time Loki really looked at her. Of course he had seen her, but it wasn't until this moment that he _really _looked at her. He saw her light pink lips and her small, straight-bridged nose, and her color-changing eyes (in this light, they were gray) outlined by long eyelashes. Small, barely noticeable freckled danced across her cheeks. Her jaw wasn't overly defined, given her oval face. Loki had never found anyone attractive before, but when he looked at her like that, he knew it was in a different light than he'd seen anyone else.

_She's so young_, he thought to himself. _I've got nothing but age and hate. But she…she has so much light._

After watching Jeopardy for an hour on the low-def television, Teagan started to get bored. She popped off her bed and grabbed the wallet off of the desk and headed toward the door. "I'm going to go pick up some stuff," she declared.

Loki's face must've looked worried, for she reassured him, "I'll be _fine_. You just be careful." She tossed the TV remote onto his bed, not bothering to explain it to him. "And _no porn_," she said, mock-seriously.

Loki's brow furrowed at the comment, not understanding. He just hoped no agents were anywhere near this town.

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I've updated...and the last chapter kind of sucked lol. This one's kind of short but I figured I'd write one because I don't have school tomorrow. Thank you so much for reading and have a great night/day! ^.^**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Teagan kept her promise and stayed safe, keeping an eye open at every angle. She walked around the miniscule town, enjoying the heat and the amusing idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know where she was. They were miles away, sending helicopters and cars and agents. But right now, she was in control. _I'll never get tired of that feeling_, she thought, twirling and kicking rocks on the horridly-paved roads.

She walked into an old CVS, finding what was most likely the only ATM in a 20-mile radius. She took only a few moments, looking at everything in the dead guard's wallet. _No kids…rules out any birthdays. _She looked at his age. _27…young, but not stupid enough to use his own birthday._ She fished around, hitting a jackpot: a large clump of photos. _Strange,_ she thought. Of course, she knew that all S.H.I.E.L.D. employees were required to be confidential in their location and only had limited communication with their family and friends. _But what purpose do pictures serve? _She looked through them, noticing a majority of them were with the same people – a sports team, obviously, because of their stature and muscle mass. After flipping through a couple more she reached one of the whole football team. She spotted him, wearing a jersey marked _35_. Doing math in her head, she swiped the card and, when prompted for a PIN, typed _2335_. A moment of processing, and…_PIN Accepted_. Teagan nodded to herself. _Who knew high school graduation could be so important?_

She took out a conservative amount of money, barely more than she'd need. She wandered around the store, picking up a few essentials. After paying yet another bored teenager staring vacantly down the aisles, she headed towards a gift shop across the street. Whistling, she walked through the doors and picked up her supplies. The employees had a look of disbelief on their face, apparently not used to actual customers.

When Teagan returned to the motel room, she saw Loki sitting on the bed, in the same position he was when she left. She dropped her purchases on the ground and slightly smiled, bemused.

"Have you even moved since I left?" she asked.

Loki ignored her question. "Why is it that these humans think it is necessary to know such petty facts?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," she replied, leaping onto her bed. An old episode of Jeopardy was playing on the dusty screen. "The Byzantine Empire," she answered aloud to the TV, seconds later.

Loki smiled softly at her, watching a calm eagerness come over her. Over the next hour, she spoke to the television, not caring if she looked strange. She responded correctly to practically every question before any of the contestants, murmuring mild insults at those who got them wrong.

Next was an ancient installment of Wheel of Fortune, which had Teagan trying to keep a straight face every time the god was confused because of an answer.

"'Look before you leap year'? What does that even mean?" He asked condescendingly.

"Well, 'look before you leap' is a common saying about how you should measure the consequences of an action before performing it. And a 'leap year' is what happens every four years when an extra day is added to the calendar," she explained.

"Obviously," he sneered. "But why would you combine them? It makes no sense to do so. Both phrases have lost their meaning. Why are people being rewarded for guessing these stupid puzzles? Do they think they are intelligent because they can do this?"

Teagan erupted in laughter at the seriousness in his voice. He glared at her, his eyes demanding that she stop mocking him. Instead, she walked over to one of her bags. Searching with her hand, she found the pack of cards she had bought at CVS.

"What is that?" he asked, curiosity overcoming his anger.

"It's a pack of playing cards. Each card is either a number 2 through 10, or is an Ace, Jack, Queen, or King," she started to explain as she removed the packaging and shuffled the cards. "There are also four suits – hearts, diamonds, clubs, and clovers."

Teagan walked over to Loki's bed and sat Indian-style at the end of it. He sat up and folded in his legs as well. They faced each other, roughly a foot and a half of space between them. She talked more about the value of each card, sitting them in front of him as she did so.

When she finished, Loki held a Queen between his fingers, feeling the texture and analyzing every line. "So why is it that you purchased these? What is their purpose?"

Teagan smiled at him. "We're going to play a game. Lots of people bet money and possessions when they play cards. However, I don't think an alien and a runaway have much to gamble."

"You may be right," Loki jested, flashing his teeth in a quick, handsome smile.

"We'll start easy…Rummy." Her hands moved quickly, dealing ten cards to both of them. "Now, the goal is to get rid of all of your cards, and end with the greatest amount of points. You can lay down a run, or a set. With a run, all of the cards must…" She went on for several minutes, describing the rules and scoring system. Loki noticed that she never stuttered, and she spoke intelligently and passionately, like she could answer every possible question anyone could ever have on the subject. Alas, this was not necessary, as she organized and expressed information so well that Loki understood everything the first time through.

They played a fairly serious match, thought naturally Loki attempted to cheat. ("_You thought I wouldn't notice you through a diamond in with the run of hearts? Come on, I expect more from you, 'God of Mischief!") _In the end, however, it was Teagan's victory, which resulted in much teasing,

"Aw, don't beat yourself up over it, Loks. Everybody sucks on their first game."

"I didn't 'suck'! You must have cheated. I demand another round."

"Whatever you say, champ."

After Teagan won three more times, she looked at the time.

"Alright, this has been enough embarrassment for one night. Also, we've got a big day tomorrow."

The Asgardian was still fuming that he was beaten by a mere child at such a simple game, but he concurred. They had agreed to leave before dawn, as Teagan had reported that at this time security was the most relaxed, as the night guards were reaching the end of their shift and getting tired.

Teagan collected the cards and put them back in the box. As she slid into bed, she watched Loki looking out the window.

"Do you want to wake up me up halfway through the night so that you can get some rest? We could take shifts."

"Nonsense. I do not need sleep as most mortals do."

"Alright," she replied simply, turning off the light in the room. "Good night, Loki of Asgard."

"Sleep well, Teagan of Earth."

The sound of his voice saying her name echoed through Teagan's head as she fell asleep, feeling more safe then she thought she ought to feel.

**I am so so so sorry that this took literally forever. I just didn't get around to updating, and the last week or two have been super hectic and stressful. Thank you for all your reviews, I'm always so surprised and happy when you guys nag me to update. I know that a few of you have mentioned title ideas; you can feel free to message them to me (if there is a way to do so...lol). However, it's not the most important thing on my mind right now. I don't know if you guys liked this update or not, but it means so much that you read it. I hope to update more often. xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 **

Teagan felt a faint sense of déjà-vu just before dawn the next morning, with the feeling of Loki's hand gently shaking her awake.

"Is it go time already?" she asked, sitting up and taking her hair out of a bun. She blinked a few times, and when her eyes adjusted she saw her accomplice standing next to her bed.

Loki looked out the window to the dark sky, and then back to her. "Yes," he answered.

"Okay," Teagan yawned, stretching. After reluctantly pulling herself out of the musty bed, she walked over to the items still lying in bags in the corner of the room from the previous day.

She removed a black hoodie, which she promptly put on. She then took out a pack of bobby pins, a tiny screwdriver, and a very small camera encased in plastic packaging, which she opened with the stolen knife she'd been carrying around in her back pocket. After making sure the camera was working correctly by taking a rather candid photo of Loki (and enjoying his puzzled reaction), she placed it carefully in the pocket of her hoodie.

"What are those?" Loki asked.

"Bobby pins," Teagan replied. "For the security cameras."

"Couldn't you just cut the wires like you did the last time?"

"I could, but it wouldn't help much. When the wires are cut, an alert is sent to the control room. We could afford to do that when we escaped, because some of them already knew we were leaving. It merely helped slow them down a bit. My goal is to not let them know I'm there in the first place. If I deactivate the cameras through a panel in the back, it will simply cut them off. This happens to the cameras on their own occasionally anyway, so it won't raise as much concern."

_How does she know so much? _ Loki thought, wondering how much mischief this girl had caused even before he arrived.

"Alright, I think I'm ready to go. You better be here when I get back," Teagan warned.

"What do you mean?" Loki inquired..

"_I mean _I don't want to get back here and realize you've decided you don't need me anymore. Because I will find you." Teagan looked serious, but the threat didn't sound as malicious as it could.

"I'm coming _with _you. You're going to need cover when they chase you out of the premises."

"Oh, will I? Have you no faith me, Loki?" Teagan was smiling now.

"I have as much faith in you as you wish to believe." Loki was grinning, also.

"Oh, shut up."

A few minutes later, the partners were back in the stolen vehicle, heading toward headquarters.

"Are you nervous?" the god asked Teagan, looking over to the driver's seat.

"Anxiety is nothing but an emotion that hinders ability," she responded.

Loki smiled to himself.

"What?" Teagan pried.

"You're so…strange."

"You're one to talk."

"You misunderstand. It's a nice strange. But, still strange."

"Whatever you say, champ."

When the car began to approach the headquarters, Teagan slowed down and parked. She stayed about a quarter mile away from the boundaries, just to be safe. She checked to make sure she had everything she needed, and then turned to look at Loki.

"Loki, listen, if for some reason I don't make it, I want you to get out of here. Get back to Asgard. If you stay here, they will track you down. They'll find a way to kill you, trust me, they've been trying to do so for many years. If you really want to ruin S.H.I.E.L.D. after that, just wait a while."

"Why do you care what happens to me?"

Teagan didn't have a clear answer to that question. She pondered for a moment, forming her thoughts into words.

"I don't really know. But what I _do_ know is that there aren't a lot of people who I truly respect. People who I really find impressive. And when I do find those people, I sure as hell don't want them running off and getting themselves killed. So, if I don't get out of this, don't be an idiot."

There was another moment of silence as they looked at each other until Loki gave a small nod.

"Good luck, Teagan."

It didn't take long for Teagan to get to the fence, where she slid the card and typed in the code, just like she did the last time. She used the same technique she used every time she snuck out; sticking by the fence and then sneaking in through the combat training wing. It was always the busiest, a large gymnasium full of agents throwing punched and kicks left and rights. After opening the door, she would swim easily through the sea of elbows and fists. However, when Teagan entered the room this time, there wasn't a single person in there.

_They must have sent every available agent in the compound to look for me_, Teagan thought. _Funny. And I'm right here at home all along. _She ran silently across the cement floor, finding the door that would lead her nearest to the restricted research wing in the basement. She looked through the small slit window in the door, seeing one guard in the hallway. She didn't bother being quite while charged toward him, her fingers curling into a fist at her side. When she reached him, she braced herself and waited for him to turn all the way around. Her fist shot up and slammed square into his temple before his hand could even brush his gun. He dropped like a rock, unconscious.

Unfazed, Teagan proceeded down the hallway, turning down into the next stairwell. She glanced downwards, seeing the plain gray stairs descend for what seems like forever. The stairs were almost never used, but there were many security cameras. She walked up to the first one. She had to stand on a railing to reach it, almost losing her balance and dropping down the entire flight. She pulled out the small screwdriver, carefully and quickly opening the panel on the back of the device. Grabbing a bobby pin from her pocket, she found the tiny switch and shoved it in. The camera gave her a small sigh of deactivation.

Teagan followed the stairs all the way down, turning off every camera as she went. When she got to the bottom, she looked down the hallway.

_No guards? That can't be right…_

As she walked on cautiously, she realized something vital. _There are no guards because the research wing is protected by technological barriers! How could I have been so stupid? _

She looked at the first door. Fingerprint-recognition software governed the access. However, the pad looked like it had wires that could easily be cut, overriding the fingerprinting. _Why would they make it so easy? If this is the most top-secret place in the entire compound, why would they make it so damn _easy_? _Then, she understood. They _want_ people to hack into it. They made it easy so that they could have _legions _of agents at the ready to kill whoever did so.

_Well, it's the only shot I've got. _She turned on the camera inside her pocket and grabbed the knife. Steadily, she slid over to the panel, feeling adrenaline pump through her veins. Then, all at once, she smashed it and sliced all the wires in half. The doors opened, but an ear-splitting alarm blasted through the halls. She sprinted to the next door. This one was a bit different. Teagan guessed it was vocal-recognition, but she didn't have the time to be sure. Again, she crashed her elbow onto the small panel, hearing a hiss of sparks and a satisfying crack of the glass. Her knife-wielding hand cut through every exposed wire. Her finger brushed the end of one, sending a numbing shock of electricity through her forearm. She went on regardless, hearing the faint patter of dozens of footsteps behind her.

The last door was an eye-scan, but Teagan braced her left foot on the ground and used her right to bash the panel. Trying to cover her fingertips with the arms of her sweatshirt, she slashed the wires. The doors opened.

All that lay in front of her was a very plain-looking hallway, almost like an office building. There were doors every twenty feet or so, with no windows but a small board that listed the contents of every room. She ran as fast as she could down the hall, her whole right arm still numb, skimming every little board. She skidded to a halt in front of the one that said "tesseract research." There was a card slot, resembling those at a hotel. It was obviously restricted access, but the footsteps were getting closer. Teagan had no time to lose. She took her knife and jammed it into the slot, moving it around until she saw sparks. Then, she quickly used a bobby pin to pick the lock on the door knob.

In the room lay glass cases everywhere, each containing various types of weapons. Some guns, some lasers, some attempted recreations of Loki's scepter. But what spiked Teagan's interest the most were large capsules at the end of the room. She wanted to see them, but she took out the camera, taking as many pictures as physically possible she ran down the length of the room, pausing momentarily at different angles to snap photos. When she arrived at the capsules, she spared a look.

They were all a metallic gold color, with a small window at the end. The window glowed blue, like there was no object in it, only light. Teagan was about to admire it some more when the she heard voices from the end of the hall.

She ran back to the door, shoving the camera in her pocket and pulling her hood over her eyes. _There's got to be an exit at the end of the hall…_ Before she ventured back out into the hall, she looked around. With all of her thoughts a blur, she saw a small, crescent shaped blade laying on the floor, probably taken out of a case and not locked up tight. Teagan picked it up and noticed a small, blue, gem-like spot on the handle. A certain power ran through her hand, arm, and whole body.

She shot out into the hall and ran down the opposite side that she came in through. There was a loud voice that shouted "_FIRE AT WILL_" but she didn't look back. She heard bullets buzzing past her, but she kept moving. She turned a corner at the end of the hall and saw a large door that could only lead out. _God, I love it when I'm right. _

She pushed all of her weight onto it and it budged just enough for her to slip out. As she looked back, she realized that the other side of the door looked just like the outside walls. It was only an exit, not an entrance. She heard voices gathering behind the one-way door and, somehow knowing what to do, pointed the dagger it. A blue light erupted from the end, blasting the door into pieces and knocking out anyone remotely close to it.

After a second of getting her bearings, she turned left and ran until she faintly saw Loki and the car in the distance.

She was panting when she finally got there.

"How did it go?" Loki asked calmly.

"We need…to drive…" Teagan breathed, turning the in the ignition.

**Helloooo. I know I just updated, but we're getting snow and I'm missing school, which means I actually have time to write B) I don't know if you guys like this update or not, but I'll be looking forward to any reviews (if anyone decides to leave any)! Again, thanks for your time & reading my story! xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Without wasting any time, Teagan put the car in drive and took off like a rocket. She purposefully went the wrong way, planning on making a large arc on the way back to the motel instead of going straight there.

The hot Arizona sun beat down on the vehicle as the sound of the alarm faded into the distance. Teagan began to sweat underneath the black sweatshirt. Keeping her foot on the gas pedal, she took everything out of the pocket and set it on the seat next to her. ("Watch these.") Then, she carefully took off the hoodie, throwing it on the ground near her feet.

Loki laughed. "Be careful."

"Oh you're right, I might hit something," Teagan retorted, making extravagant hand gestures to the monotonous, flat desert.

After a few moments, Loki spoke up again. "Do you think they know it was you?"

"I don't think they directly saw me, but they might make the connection, given that I left with such a model citizen as yourself."

"What is this?" the god asked, holding the blade that Teagan had stolen with an incredulous expression.

"I took it when I left the weapons room. It came in pretty handy on the way out."

Loki continued to stare at it, eventually picking up his own scepter in the other hand to compare. His expression quickly turned to rage.

"Those greedy idiots! How could they think they could harness a power older then themselves? This almost destroyed them! And they think they can _control _it? Make it _work_ for them?"

"Well, to be fair, you kind of did the same thing."

"I did not ask for your input!" he roared at her.

Teagan threw her arms up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay."

"I'm so tired of these _humans _thinking everything in the universe is theirs' for the taking!"

Teagan said nothing, letting him blow off steam undisturbed.

"This is why I _can't wait _for S.H.I.E.L.D. to crash and burn. How many? How many weapons had they created?" he fumed, spitting venom with every word.

"At least forty, maybe more," his partner answered calmly.

"All of them will burn," he growled.

They drove in silence all the way back to the old motel. After they had parked, they collected their things and headed to their room.

"I apologize," Loki stated unexpectedly.

"What?" Teagan asked, surprised by his use of the phrase.

"I am sorry for yelling at you. Back in the car. It was uncalled for."

Teagan chuckled in spite of herself.

"Why are you laughing?" There was a small hint of anger in Loki's eyes.

"Nothing, it's just – I wouldn't expect those words to come out of your mouth." He continued to stare at her. "I just…Never mind. It's okay. I forgive you."

"Good."

"Good."

When they got back to the room, Teagan dropped her stuff on the ground.

"Keep an eye out. I'm going to take a shower." She paused. "Well, don't keep an eye on me _in _the shower, just you know, for agents – "

"I understood you."

She took her bag from the gift shop into the bathroom and shut the door. Pushing the curtain away, she saw a shower head that was only a little rusty and a small spider in the corner of the tub. On the countertop, there were two tiny bottles of shampoo and conditioner and a small bar of soap.

As she showered, she pondered what would happen next. After she put the pictures on the internet, would he leave? Would he go back to Asgard, letting her fend for herself as an entire government agency searched for her? There wouldn't even be a point to running anymore, they would find her eventually.

After she finished her shower, she put her hair in a towel and dressed in the clothes she had bought at the gift shop. She felt a little stupid in denim shorts and a shirt that said "I Arizona," but it was all she could find. She walked back over to the CVS bag, taking out a medium-sized pair of scissors and a fine-toothed comb. She didn't bother shutting the bathroom door when she walked back in, standing in front of a mirror. She strategically gathered her long hair into a low ponytail, braided it, and then secured it with an old hair tie from her wrist.

She ran her hand on her hair one last time. Then, slowly, she took her knife out of her back pocket. She unfolded it and held it up to her hair, with the other hand holding the braid tightly. She sawed through it with the knife, feeling some give at the back of her neck. Halfway through, she heard Loki's voice from the other room.

"Teagan? What are you doing?"

"Changing things up a bit. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gonna be looking for me everywhere…might as well get a new hairdo along the way."

The final few hairs broke beneath the blade, a whole length of hair sat in Teagan's hand, and she felt a huge lack of weight on her head.

It was short, about jaw length. She started from the back, trimming until it laid flat against her head. On the sides, she left the hair about two inches long. And in the front, she trimmed bangs that lay across her forehead but were not long enough to cover her eyes. She dried it off, still getting used to the lightness.

Staring at the mirror, she ran her hands through her new short cut, tousling it. Teagan wasn't normally one to care about how she looked, but she smiled. She kind of liked it. It was…different.

"How do I look?" she asked Loki half-jokingly, turning to face him.

It took him a minute to adjust to the new look. "It's…nice."

"I sensed a hesitation."

"No, it looks nice. It _is _different, but it's nice."

"Nice," she echoed. "You want to say goodbye to my hair?" she inquired, grabbing her detached braid and walking over to where he was sitting on his bed.

"No, I don't want to – Teagan, that looks so weird," he answered, not sure if he was disturbed or amused, as she tried to shove it in his face.

"I know..." she answered, finally backing off. "Part of me wants to hand it to the motel owner when we pay for our room."

Loki laughed whole-heartedly. _What an unusual girl._

"On a serious note, though, we need to talk," Teagan said, her smile fading to some extent.

"About what?"

"About what happens next. After I leak the photos, will you return to Asgard? And will you expect me to call you somehow when all hell breaks loose, so you can bask in the glory?"

"Believe me; I'll be wanting to stay off of Asgard as much as possible. The second a return they will plague me with questions of where I've been and what I've been up to. I'd like to avoid them if at all possible." He thought for a moment. "Actually, I had been meaning to ask you…were you planning on returning to your father?"

Teagan _had _thought about that, but the idea of returning to London to live with her father all seemed terribly boring. Not to mention that it would be one of the first places S.H.I.E.L.D. would look for her.

"No, not really. I'll probably end up still on the run no matter what."

"I feel the same."

"Should we, maybe, stick together, then?"

"I think that's the best choice we have."

"Okay, so it's settled. The Dream Team stays in business."

Loki chuckled. "Sometimes I don't understand a word you say."

"Eh, you'll catch on eventually." Teagan suddenly remembered something she else she had bought at the gift shop. She ran over to the bathroom.

"If we're gonna be on the run, their sure as hell going to be looking for a guy in a long green cape. Put these on," she ordered, tossing a handful of clothes at him.

After a good ten minutes spent in the bathroom trying to figure out how human clothes worked ("Are you okay in there, Loks?" "Yes, I'm _fine._"), the god emerged, garbed in jeans, a sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers.

"How did you know all of this would fit?" he asked.

"Because I'm clever."

"I feel naked."

"Oh, shut up, you look fine."

**Phew, another one. I hope I'm not annoying anyone with my constant updates. Anyway, I'll be looking forward to any reviews! Thanks so much xx**


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